Attachment for ladders.



No. 812,620. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

F. VAN ALSTINE. I

ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1905.

1 0 M j Z4 1 W/T/VESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK VAN ALSTINE, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 23,1906. Serial No. 261,777.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK VAN ALs'rINE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident. of Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Ladders, ofv which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention. relates to attachments for ladders; and it consists, substantially, in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinaftermore particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention has reference more especially-to attachments for ladders of the store service type, though applicable to other types; and one of the principal objects thereof is to overcome numerous disadvantages and objections frequently attendin the use of many forms of such ladders as hit erto devised and employed.

A further object is to provide a store-serv ice ladder with means whereby goods in stock within astore or. other place may be taken from the su porting-shelves therefor and readily examined or handled at any height, either to ascertain the amount of. stock on hand or-make up orders or sort or rearrange the goods without the operator having to descend the ladder with the goods for that purpose.

A still further object is to'provide an attachment for store-service ladders for the purposes named which is simple in its embodiment and cheap to manufacture, besides,

being easily and qulckly applied, thoroughly effective and reliable in use, and possessing the capacityfor. long and repeated service.

.The above "and additional objects are attained .by means substantially ,such. as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate cor-. res onding parts in all the views.

igure 1 is a view perspective showing a store-service or. other ladder having my improvements embodied in connection therewith. Fig. 2. is a vertical sectional elevation showing the movable table or platform of m improvement in its outward or horizonta position; and Fig. 3 isa similar view showing the movable table or platform, together with parts with which the same is connected,

as carried to the innermost position thereof devised side members of a table or platform having movable relation to said hangers. The construction and or anization of the several elements or parts 0 the structure are such that, while standing on one of the steps of the ladder, the operator may pull the tavble outwardly substantially to a horizontal osition before him, so as to enable him to liandle' goods thereon for any purpose desired, and then when he has finished with the use of the table the same may be folded inwardlv partly, to the under or rear side'of the ladder, so as not to be ,in the way nor present an unsightl appearance. The structure may be instant y detached from the step of the ladder in entirety, to be shifted or caught upon another step, according to the height at which it may be necessary to handle the goods.

While I have herein represented my improvements in a'certain referred embodiment, it will be understoo of course, that I am not limited thereto in precise detail, since immaterial changes therein may be made coming within the scope of my invention.

Reference being'h'ad to the drawings by the designating characters marked thereon, 1 represents ordinary shelving, such as is ordinarily employed in stores, warehouses, and

- other places for supporting various kinds of stock or merchandise, and 2 represents an ordinary ladder of the store-service ty e, it being understood that ladders of this usually provided with means by which they may be shifted to one side or the other longitudinally of the shelv ng while the operator is standing thereon in the examination or handling of goods. My improvements comprise duplicate hangers 3, which, as shown,

are preferably constructed of T or angle iron,

'nd are said hangers being formed with downwardlyextending substantially straight parallel members 4, terminating at the upper ends thereof with hooks 5, which in the use of the structure are caught upon the step or rung 6 of the ladder, as shown, the space between the opposing faces 7 and 8, respectively, of the parallel members 4 and the said hooksfi gradually decreasing in width upwardly,thus to cause the step of the ladder to become wedged therein by the weight of the structure thereon, and thereby effecting a secure support for the structure in its position upon the ladder.

Formed on the inner faces of the upperiportions of the parallel members 4 of the hangers at points near to the bends 9 therein are pins or headed rivets 10,"w 'hich are received in corresponding arc or segmental slots 12 in parallel side members 13 pendent'from the under side of a table or platform 14 at or near the ends of the latter, said side members13 being preferably constructed of flanged metal and having the innerortion-s15th'ereof, Fig. ,1, secured to the ta leer platform in such a manner as to prevent any-tendency to cracking or splitting of said table-platform in use. The parallel side members 13 of the table or platform are also formed at'the outer or forward ends thereof with corresponding slots or elongated openings 16, in which work or are received headed pins or rivets 17, projecting from the inner faces of the upper end portions of duplicate parallel brace-members 18, the lower extremities of which are-adjustable 1n corres ondin openin s 19, formed in the straig t para lel mem ers 4 ofthe hangers, by meansof other headed pins or rivets 20 or in any other suitable way, saidbracemembers 18 being capable of folding inwardly substantially arallel with the members 4 of the hangersw en the table or.platform 14 is carried inwardly and downwardly by the operator to the position shown in Fig. 3.

When the table or'platform iscarried outwardly, Fig. 2,-to a substantially horizontal position before the operator'on the Ladder, the brace members18-serve to rigidly maintain the table or platformin such position while the goods are being handled thereon. The slots 17 permit of the necessary movements of the several parts orelements'by which to effect the several adjustments-desired'in use,- and it maybe stated that'the purpose of having the i lower extremities of the-brace members 18 adjustable with referenc'e'to the parallel members -4 of the han ers is to enable a ready conformability to be ad to the. varying angles ofinclination at whieh the ladder may be placed.

For the purposes of rigidity and strength I preferably provide a 'connectin -brace' '21 between the said parallel mem ers =4 of the hangers 3, together with a similar connectingbrace' 22 'between the bracemembers 18 "for the table or platform, it being understood that all the parts or elements of the structure excepting the table or platform are preferably constructed of metal of suit-able lightness and durability.

If desired, the parallel side members 4. of the hangers 3 may be straight throughout their length, or they may. be curved somewhat inwardly, as indicated at 23, either as may be preferredin practice. The connecting-brace 21 between the said side members 4 of the hangers is so located with reference to the steps 6 of the. ladder as not'to encounter the same, and it is thought that the construction' and operation of my improvements will be fully understood without further detailed description. 1

Whenthe parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 3, they are-entire] out of the *way and do. not resent ran unsig tly ap earance, and shoul it be desired to entire y remove the structure or attachment'from the ladder'this may be readily done by simply lifting the same upwardly and carrying it forwardly in a manner quite ap arent.

It will be observed-that the ower edges of the arallel sidemembers 13 of the table or plat orm 17 are curved at 24 on lines parallel with the curvatures of the slots 12'therein and-also that the inner faces of .the hooked portions of the hangers 3 are formed or'provided with projections 25, over which the hers 13 Of the'table or'platform ride in the adjustments of the table or platform toand from the position thereof indicated in Fig. 3. -When=.in this: latter position, the said' projec- Etions 25-serve as supports for the lower edges of the side: members of the table as is apparent, and preventiany looseness between the parts of the structure.

Instead of using the structure while-standonrth'e dadder it is apparent thattthetoperator may r "stand on the 1 table orlplatf orm while performing such duties as may benecessary with i the shelving- 'or goods thereon. The table or platformmay beaeasilyrrshifted to either its outward or-inward. osition'bya light licationof-the toe oflt efoot'or in aniyiot -er way.

aving zthus described .my invention, 1 claim as new and desirei to-secureby Letters Patentg 1 An :attachment: for i ladders,- comprising means adaptedto'be suspended from astep of the ladder, a table aving connections therewith, movablesoutwardly and inwardly with'referenee-thereto, and. braces for the table in its out/ward: position, movable inwardly and outwardly therewith.

I. 2. An attachment for: ladders; comprising -means adapted to be -sus ended from a step of the la'dder, :a table' 1 ving connections therewith and movable outwardly and inwardly with respectl thereto end havingpar- --aid lower curved edges 24' of the sidememallel side members formed with corresponding segmental slots, said means having inwardlv-projecting devices working in said slots,braees adapted to move on'twardlv and inwardly with the table. having movable eonneetions with the forward ends of the said side members of the table. and also having adjustable connections with parallel members of the means relerred to.

3. An attachment for ladders, comprising hangers adapted to be suspended from a step ol the ladder.-a table having Connections therewith and movable ontwardlv and inwardl with respect thereto. and also having parallel 'sidemembers formed with eorresponding segmental slots, the lower edges of said side members being curved in eorres spondence with the edges of the slots, said on which ride the lower edges of the said side members. braces for the table, movable outwardly and inwardly with respect to the hangers. and having connections with the forward ends of the said side members of the table, together with adjustable eonneetions with parallel members of the said hangers.

in testimony whereol' l have signed my name to this speeilieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRAXK VAX ALSTIXE.

'itnesses:

Use-m Anxorn Enrica. Gnome. ALBERT Yt'rntn. 

